Dazed & Confused Founder Dean Demanuele: 5 Lessons You Learn When Running a Label in 2017

With so much music being released these days, separating the decent from the absolutely terrible has become harder and harder for music fans. The Internet has opened the floodgates in that respect, but that hasn’t stopped a host of crafty and determined music lovers from opening up their own labels.

One such man to do so is Maltese producer, Dean Demanuele. Having repped the likes of Einmusika, Bedrock and Snatch!, Dean’s music has landed on some massively respected labels, but it’s his own endeavors at his own label, Dazed & Confused that have really pricked our ears of late. Malta native Dean Demanuele has always made tech-house with a swagger, but even his own lofty standards, his latest release is a joy to behold. Full of tension from the get-go, the Grey Game EP – released on Dean’s always excellent Dazed and Confused label – confirms his reputation as his country’s leading exporter of all things dance floor driven.

With this in mind, we decided to catch up with Dean, as he gave us a quick rundown on the label and offered us his five tips for running a label in 2017. Regardless of whether you’re a newcomer at label management or an experienced dab hand, Dean offers up a wealth of pertinent information here:

Dazed & Confused Records has been a vital decision in my career, a great step I took way back in 2013. Since day one it has been a portal for freedom of expression for both myself and the team around the label. The music I release is an extension of what I like to play as a DJ. There is no specific style, just music I would love to play.

1. It’s a competitive market, there’s a lot of good music that’s being released out at the moment. You always have to be on trend and know what the music scene is looking for at that particular time.

2. We receive a lot of demos from all over the world, we are very selective in the music my team and I agree on to release, though sometimes some guy pops up from nowhere and delivers some amazing music.

3. Streaming is the future of the digital world. Although sales are ok, streaming is proving to be the most important tool to make an artist or a track go viral.

4. Social media and online promotion is the best way to sell records. With social media, you can reach anyone anywhere instantly, it´s very important to have an online presence these days.

5. It takes a lot of administrative time to finalize a release, you need to be very organised to handle the admin stress and keep a good schedule of releases.

Watch out for Dean Demanuele’s ‘Grey Game’, which is out soon on Dazed & Confused